Following the successful release of The Gray Man this weekend, where it debuted as the #1 movie in 92 countries, The Gray Man is getting a sequel and a spin-off, Netflix has confirmed.
Ryan Gosling will reprise his lead role as former CIA agent Court Gentry aka Sierra Six in The Gray Man 2.
Filmmaker duo Joe and Anthony Russo will return as directors for The Gray Man sequel.
“The Gray Man” co-writer Stephen McFeely will pen the script. McFeely is known for movies such as Avengers: Endgame, and Captain America: Civil War.
Meanwhile, The Gray Man spin-off movie is set to explore different elements of The Gray Man universe.
It will be written by screenwriters Paul Wernick and Rhett Reese (Deadpool, Zombieland). Plot details are currently under wraps.
An earlier report had claimed that The Gray Man spin-off would be a prequel and centre on Chris Evans’ villain Lloyd Hansen.
“The audience reaction to ‘The Gray Man’ has been nothing short of phenomenal. We are so appreciative of the enthusiasm that fans across the world have had for this film.
“With so many amazing characters in the movie, we had always intended for The Gray Man to be part of an expanded universe, and we are thrilled that Netflix is announcing a sequel with Ryan, as well as a second script that we’re excited to talk about soon,” the Russo Brothers said in a joint statement.
The Russos and AGBO’s Mike Larocca will produce The Gray Man 2 along with Joe Roth and Jeffrey Kirschenbaum for Roth Kirschenbaum Films.
The storyline of ‘The Gray Man’ is based on the best-selling book series by Mark Greaney.
The Gray Man is marvellous entertainment, superb disinformation for those looking for a job in MI6 et al and as noted elsewhere in the London Times “you’ll forget it the moment you stop watching it”. So why spend so much on such a fictional film just to make James Bond and Jason Bourne look like slow horses? Why include gruesome nail-pulling torturous stuff if this is meant to be the best escapism money can buy?
There are many decent novels and films in the espionage genre that satisfy the demand for “fast and furious”. Surely the Russo bros must know that few viewers want non-stop “fast and furious” for two hours two minutes? Excellent examples of the skilful juxtaposition of “fast and furious” action packed scenes with more cerebral stuff feature in many of Len Deighton’s fictional works whether in writing or on screen with Caine or Cole as Harry Palmer or arguably even more strikingly in Bill Fairclough’s fact based spy novel Beyond Enkription in The Burlington Files series.
One classic espionage writer, namely John le Carré, was never noted for the “fast and furious”. If only John le Carré, Mark Greaney and the Russo Bros had collaborated one with another years ago! Mind you, apparently Fairclough approached le Carré on collaborative works and was turned down. As John le Carré allegedly commented “Why bother now?” A realistic response from an expert in spy fiction in his eighties!